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by Jan Hawes, author of The 41st Hour, a book that encourages Christians to live
their faith in the workplace. Her service in the First
Congregational Churches in Kingston, NH, and previously in Georgetown,
MA, includes Christian Education, Diaconate and Missions.
Currently, she serves in the Stephen Ministry and enjoys
her retirement as a writer, gardener and grandparent. |
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When members of the First
Congregational Church of Kingston, NH, held a retreat in the fall of 1998,
they embarked on a Jordan River experience. Intent on
leveraging their church's renewed spirituality under the leadership
of Rev. Dr. W. David Thomas, they met for some serious
long-range planning. The result was a mission statement:
to embrace the Congregational Way of faith,
fellowship, and freedom, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in words
and deeds and five supporting goals. One goal was to establish choices
of time, style, and content for worship and education. Many months
and prayers later, a second worship service was proposed as a way
to achieve this goal while also meeting current needs: more seating space
at the traditional service, an opportunity for Sunday School teachers
to attend worship, and reaching people to whom Christ's message was
not being preached.
A committed core of the
congregation used guidelines from Kennon Callahan's book,
Dynamic Worship. First, the "audience" was identified (individuals on the fringe of the
congregation to whom outreach had already begun). Then,
gifted-appropriate people in the congregation reached out
to make personal contact, creating a spirit of
expectancy with personal invitations to the new service.
Decisions were made about the service: it would be contemporary with
Christian music, congregational prayer and praise, and interactive
Biblical instruction by Pastor Thomas.
The Holy Spirit had already
begun touching the hearts of musicians within the congregation who
actively sought additional members. Combining keyboard, guitars, and
vocal cords, a new Praise Band was formed. This music missionary
team would lead the worship. Weekly practices were scheduled (and
continue!), each beginning with spiritual sharing and prayer. Diverse in
background, vocation, and talent, they are unified in purpose _ to lead
the congregation in worship. For them, it's not about being musicians;
it's about being disciples of Jesus Christ.
The goal for attendance at the
first worship service in November 2002 was 45; 78 came. As many as
115 have attended recent summer services. Those who worked so
hard at the First Congregational Church to deliver a second worship
service would testify that they had put their foot in the Jordan, but it was
God who parted the waters. Indeed, the glory goes to "him who is able to
do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. . ." (Ephesians 3:20-21).
At 8:45 a.m. Sunday mornings in Kingston, NH, the people gather
and sing, "Come! Now is the time to worship. Come! Now is the
time to give your heart. Come!"
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